Summary
Horror is a genre that is often filled with cliché troupes and locations. We see many horror movies/games that have similar villains, such as a serial killer or some kind of demon. Often, horror movies/games will try and turn normal everyday locations into somewhere scary—for instance, the normal-looking modern family home inParanormal Activity,or the twisted town ofSilent Hill.
Alienby Ridley Scottin 1979 was praised for moving away from the horror troupes. It was no longer a ghost in a haunted mansion, but a Xenomorph on board a spaceship. Surprisingly, even though the situation was so far-fetched, people still related to the characters, and it was soon solidified in the horror movie Hall of Fame. Horror video games often borrow from another genre in order to experiment with different ideas. But there are a few games that have borrowed from both sci-fi and fantasy and have mixed them together to create a new, unique experience.
Dead by Daylightis one of the most popular asymmetric multiplayer survival horror video games. The basic gameplay is that some players take the role of a group of survivors trying to fix generators in order to open an exit and escape, whilst another person plays as a monster/killer hunting them down. The game is a love letter to horror as a genre and celebrates all the different forms that horror can take.
Over the years, the roster of characters has grown to include many fantasy and sci-fi characters. These include:
The game allows players to live out their nightmares of being hunted by some of the most iconic sci-fi and fantasy horror movie villains (and for some bizarre reason, Nicolas Cage). The game is the perfect marriage between fantasy and horror. It puts players in terrifying locations and lets them live out their fantasies as either a crazy murderer or a desperate survivor.
Bioshockis a sci-fi first-person shooter with survival horror elements running through it. The setting is an underwater city built in the 1940s called Rapture. The city was supposed to be a utopia, and the discovery of a substance called ADAM meant that people could be transformed into super-powered beings. As expected, the utopia collapses and the result of this is an underwater city of nightmares.
Alongside the classic sci-fi influences, there is also a hint of fantasy to the game, as you’re able to use what are essentially magic powers. Magic takes the form of something called Plasmids. These allow you to shoot lightning, set enemies on fire, and even conjure up a swarm of hornets. The game is filled with disturbing imagery. Particularly theBid Daddies, which are superhumans permanently grafted inside a giant diving suit. These are the protectors of Little Sisters, who are creepy little girls with psychic powers that make the twins fromThe Shininglook normal.
Alan Wake 2came out last year and was very well received as a unique psychological horror game. The game borrows many elements from science fiction, including multiple dimensions, and a magical device that is reminiscent of the Sonic Screwdriver fromDoctor Who.The fantasy element of Alan Wake 2 comes in the form of Norse Gods. Without spoilers, there is a section of the game in which Norse God-inspired characters are able to summon lightning from the sky using the power of a Nordic Rock concert involving many guitar solos.Alan Wake 2is the epitome of cool.
TheNight SpringsDLCleans even more into the sci-fi world, by including a chapter that has the actor Shawn Asmore moving through a multiverse playing different versions of himself. These include the character of Tim Breaker and even a reference to the previous Remedy Entertainmentsci-figameQuantum Break.
Resident Evil4 is one of the most belovedResident Evilgames and arguably one of the most respected games of all time. The remake took the original GameCube title and put a beautiful coat of paint over it, as well as adding gameplay elements to further improve the already phenomenal game. TheResident Evilseries has used sci-fi throughout all of its games, explaining the rise of zombies, bug people, and giant alligators on experimental science, being conducted by the Umbrella Corp.
Resident Evil 4introduced a lot of fantasy elements into the franchise. There is a creepy castle with suits of armor that attack you, a giant lake monster, and trolls that look like they have walked straight out of aLord of the Ringsmovie. The fantasy elements ofResident Evil 4were even further explored inResident Evil Village,which included vampires and werewolves, but the reception to this game was mixed.
Luigi’s Mansionis a franchise that allows Luigi to be his own person and no longer live in his brother’s shadow. The first game was a launch title for theGameCubeback in 2001 and was well-received as a child-friendly horror in the same vein asGhostbusters.Many people believe that the third game, which was released for Nintendo Switch in 2019, is the superiorLuigi’s Mansionexperience.
The sci-fi elements come into the game through the character of Professor E-Gadd and his weird and wonderful experiments that help you fight and capture ghosts. These include the Poltergust G-00, The Dark-Light Device, and, of course, Gooigi - a green slime clone of Luigi. In terms of fantasy, there are many examples, including ghostly knights, Magicians, and Serpci (A magical Egyptian Queen).
The Evil Withinseries has a lot more science fiction elements to it than people may realize. The second game in particular seems so clearly influenced byThe Matrixas it all takes place inside an alternate world that involves being plugged into a machine in order to travel there. The machine is called STEM and it links together people’s brains, immersing them in a shared alternate reality.
Inside this world are all kinds of fantasy-inspired creatures for you to fight. These include:
The Evil Within 2was well received and the sci-fi and fantasy elements really made the game stand out as unique.
